Signal light



June-2s, 193 s. "E; VR.-MARSTEF(\IS A; 2',122,00s'

' SIGNAL LIGHT Filed Feb. 10, 19,57 7 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 lnenTofs; Ernest RMqrsTers' Harold 5. Bird Any June 28,- 1938,

E. R MARSTERS ET AL SIGNAL LIGHT- File d Feb. 10, 1937 by'W 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ernesf R. MafsTers Horcfld SBird Patented .h'ni 28? 12938 "amass slosaouonr Ernest a. Marsters, boltomand lhrold 8.'Blrdi,

. Belmont, Mall. I a

', Application was, 10. 1937, s rial No. 124.990

3 Claims. oi 240-48) This invention relates to signal lights and'particularly to signal lights'which are designed to project a vibrating beam.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro? 5. 'vide an improved signal light of this character .in-which the projectedbeam of light is vibrated in a horizontal plane, and a further object of l r the invention is "to provide s novel manner of mounting the electric lamp and reflector so as bined reflector and socket element designated generally at- 8. This combined reflector and, 1. socket element 8 comprises a refiector'memberfs and a socket member ID, the latter having the usual provisiontor receiving the bulbv ii. i 45 and 'indicate wires vof the lamp circuit which lead to the socket Ill. The wire is shown as grounded on the stationary lamp housing. The refiector member has rigid therewith a hollow'boss or sleeve portion I2 within. which the socket inem- '10 her I is received, said socket nember being held in position by means ofa clampingyscrewi l3. The refiect'or'member' 9 is made of sheet metal l0 to secure the horiz'ontal vibration of the projected beam. A 1 v V I A signal light embodying the invention can be used advantageouslyon'flre apparatus, am-. 3 bulances, police cars andv other emergency vel hicles forthe purpose Ofproducinga warning signalto those in the path of the vehicle to show that the emergency vehicle is approachingi [In order ,to give an understanding of the in vention, we have illustratedin the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be describedafter which. the novel features will be pointed out in the appendedclaims.

'Inthedrawingsr i Fig. 1 is a partial vertical sectional view through a signal lightembodying the invention, the-partial section through the shaft-vibrating mecha nism being taken on the line i- -l Fig. 5;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a seotion' on the line 3-4, Fig. 2;.. Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 4-, Fig.

' 1, looking downwardly? I Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-4, Fig. '1: Fig. 6 Ba fragmentary view of part of the f apparatus for vibrating the beam oilight; Fig. '7 is a section on the line 1-1, Fig. 15;

Fig. 8 is apartial section on the line 8-8. Fig. F

In-the drawings l indicatesa stationary lamp housing within which the lamp is situated, said j, 4ojhousing being equippedwith the usual lens 2 through which the beam-.of light is projected. This lens may be of any desired color or of no color depending upon'whether it is desired" to project .acolored beam, of light or a beam of base is herein shown as being bolted to aportion' l of the motor vehicle by means of a clamping 2' bolt- 5. The lamp housing I is made of sheet metal pressed into shape and is formed with a- V horizontal-seat portion t'which rests on the sup 3 port 3 and is secured thereto by clamping bolts I. 5o Situated within the lamp housing I is a comand is provided with the short neck portion M which enters and-fits within one end of thesleeve 1 element I2, the latter being recessedfor this purpose as shownat l5.

Projecting into the lamp housing from the exterior thereof is a vertical shaft; it which extends through and has a bearing in the support If '3 as shown at H. The combined reflector'-and socket assembly is rigidly secured to the upper end of the shaft l6, and means are provided "for oscillating the shaft thereby to cause thecom- "bined reflector and socket assembly to be oscil- 35 listed in a horizontal 'plane or about a vertical axis. The beam of light is projected by the reflector in ahorizontal direction and the oscillating movementof the shaft it causes such projected beam to be vibrated horizontally. V

The means shown for connecting the lamp assembly 8 to the shaft It comprises a strap member [8, the centraiportion IQ of which encircles the sleeve l2, and the ends 20 of which are directed downwardly. The lower extremity 2| of 35- each end 20 is curved to fit partially around the a shaft IS, the two curved portions 2! forming a cylindrical socket which fits over the upper end of the shaft I8. These portions 2| are clamped to the shaft ['8 by means of a clamping member 40 23 which is in the form of a strap encircling the portions 2| andprovided with two ears 24 through which a clamping bolt 25 extends. The clamping bolt is provided with the usual clamping nut 2t so that by tightening up the nut 26 the clamping g5 member 23 will be firmly clamped tothe portions 2| and the latter will in turn be clamped firmly to the shaft ii. The central portion I O of the strap member ll islclamped firmly to the sleeve I} by means of a clamping bolt 41 and clamping so I ":nut 48 screwed thereto.

' Means are providedfor oscillating the shaft II so as to. produce the horizontal, vibrating movement of the beam-of light, and suchmeans comprises a suitable motor I and anappro- I priate train of gearing connecting the motor to the shaft it which will cause the shaft to oscillate, said gearing being enclosed in a gear casing 21 which is secured to the under side of the support 3. The motor shaft 28 projects into the geacasing 21 and has a pinion 29 mounted on its upper end. Said pinion meshes with a gear 3il fast on a vertical shaft 3| which is journalled in the. gear casing 21, and said shaft 3|. has a pinion 32 thereon which meshes with a gear 33,

the latter being fast on a shaft 34 journalled in the gear housing. The gear 33 has an eccentric portion 35 rigid or integral therewith, which ec-. centric portion is received within an eccentric strap 36 that is formed with a projecting arm 31 having gear teeth 38fand which, therefore, constitutes a rack. The teeth 38 of the rack 31 mesh with the teeth of a pinion 39 that is fast to the shaft i8. 40 indicates a roll rotatively mounted on a shaft 4!, said roll engaging the holding it in mesh 1 back side of the rack 31 and with the pinion 39. I

The rotation of the gear 33 and its eccentric portion 35 will produce a to-and-fro movement of the rack 37 which will in turn cause the shaft Hi to oscillate.

The motor 56 is shown as enclosed in a casing 42 that is secured in any suitable wayto the gear housing 27. The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing.

The lamp, when lighted, will project a beam of light horizontally and when the motor circuit oscillating movement thereof and in these'two extreme positions the beam of light will be pro,

' means for securing the ends??? the her to the shaft.

jected in the direction of the dotted lines 44. When the motor isoperating, therefore, the beam of light is vibrated between the two'extreme positions indicated by the dotted lines Fig. 4. If the lens 2 is a coloredlens, a red lens, for instance, then the beam of iight will.

have a corresponding color; It'is intended that the lamp structure should be attached to the automobile so that it will project its beam forwardly, and the vibrating movement of the strong beam of light will give a very effective signal tothose in the path of the vehicle indicating that an emergency vehicle is approaching.

1. A signal light comprising a stationary lamp housing, a shaft extending vertically into said housing, a combined reflector and socket unit having a hub portion, and a member for supporting said unit from the shaft, said member having a portion encircling and clamped to the hub portion of the unit and another-portion secured directly to the shaft.

2. A signal light comprising a stationary lamp housing, a shaft extending vertically into said housing, a combined ,refiector'and socket unit having a hub portion, a strap member encircling said huh I portion and clamped thereto, and

strap mem- 3. A signal light comprising a supporting member, a lamp housing stationarily secured thereto, a shaft extending through the base into the lamp housing, a reflector unit having a hollamp carried by the socket, a strap member encircling said hub and having its two'ends extending radially therefrom and curved to fit the shaft, a clamping bolt for clamping the strap to said hub portion, a clamping device for clamp-- the shaft, andmeans low hub, a lamp socket secured in .said hub, a r 

